Clare Valley's Sacred Space garden helps to heal the wounds of abuse

A retired military chaplain hopes a new garden and renovated chapel can help heal those whose faith has been betrayed by crimes in religious institutions.

Key points:

Services at Saint Peter's in the Clare Valley had ceased in 2007 and the chapel was neglected

Mr Johns, Bishop Stead and volunteers restored the chapel as a 'sacred space' for healing from institutional abuse

Academic Dr Maeve Louise Heaney says the repurposing off the chapel and its grounds is important for spiritual 'rebuilding'

Joseph Johns, the caretaker of Saint Peter's Sacred Space in South Australia's Clare Valley, welcomes those who are struggling with their faith following a range of scandals within the church, including the conviction of Cardinal George Pell and others for abuse.

"This isn't just for Christians. It's for anyone that feels disconnected from faith, or disheartened," he said.

The Sacred Space allows people time to reflect and pray, and Mr Johns said he was available to listen and offer spiritual support.

The inside has been adapted to feel less like a church to try not to trigger traumatic memories for victims of abuse.

"Many survivors of church abuse are no longer able to enter churches, so inextricably linked is the abuse with the physical structure of a church building," Mr Johns said.

"You'll find no crosses or religious symbols in here."

The only exception is a small wooden cross — shaped not like the traditional Latin cross, but like the Greek cross, with arms of equal length.

Mr Johns said Indigenous art on the cross made it unique.

"It's unlike any Christian cross in any church that I've ever been into. It enhances the sacredness, but does so in a way that we hope won't trigger the memories of individuals who were abused," he said.

Betrayed by his own church

Mr Johns spent nine years serving as a chaplain in the Royal Canadian Air Force before joining the Royal Australian Air Force.

While on operations in 2010, a series of incidents involving another chaplain had a huge impact on Mr Johns' health.

"What I was not expecting was the complete lack of support I received from my senior Defence Force chaplains, and from my own church," Mr Johns said.

"It was the perfect betrayal. It was my church, the church that I had grown up with, that I had served, that had defined my life. It was that church that turned on me," he said.

When Mr Johns was medically retired in 2014 he travelled throughout Europe, exploring the concept of spiritual healing.